@doogald:

Well, there's a case to be made that Apple is partly at fault because they caved to AT&T. Remember that Apple seems to have gotten AT&T to rearchitect voice mail so that Visual Voicemail would work and got AT&T to allow easily updating the iPhone with what I assume is minimal carrier testing (although I suppose it's possible that Apple makes any updates available to AT&T privately well before they go live).

Of course, Apple wouldn't be the only OEM to cave to carriers. Verizon got OEMs to remove or cripple Bluetooth, GPS and WiFi functions on various handsets, so Apple isn't alone.

I do have one question, though. If an app is removed from the store, does that affect all carriers, or can Apple remove it only for customers on AT&T? If removal isn't carrier-specific, that's giving AT&T way too much power.

Steve

So, AT&T tells Apple to delist Slingplayer and this is Apple's fault?

I remain truly amazed at the silly vitriol that goes back and forth between pro-Apple, anti-Apple, pro-Microsoft and anti-Microsoft fan-boys/zealots. We all just need to collectively get a life.

Apple doens't like people putting their hands into something that may make some money unless they make money off it too. Seriously, Apple only has "Apple's" best interests in mind.